Development for Assassin's Creed Hexe has hit another unexpected hurdle following reports that game director Benoit Richer has officially left the project. As reported by IGN, this marks the second time a director-level developer has departed the title in as many months.
Richer announced his career move via LinkedIn, where he revealed his new role as a co-founder of Servo Games. He will be launching the new studio alongside three other former Ubisoft developers:
- Luc Tremblay
- Danny Marcoux
- Alex Droun
A Pattern of Leadership Changes in Assassin's Creed Hexe
This departure follows the exit of creative director Clint Hocking, who left the team back in February. At that time, Ubisoft replaced HCA with Jean Guesden, the acclaimed director behind Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. As of now, Ubisoft has not yet named a replacement for Richer as game director on Assassin's Creed Hexe.
While the reasons for these back-to-back departures remain unknown, such frequent shifts in senior leadership are rarely seen as positive news for a project. The current state of development remains shrouded in mystery, though fans are still holding onto the "witchy vibes" revealed in the game's 2022 teaser trailer, which featured a creepy, twig-based version of the Assassin logo.
Uncertain Future for the Franchise and Ubisoft
Ubisoft has previously described the upcoming title as a departure from the open-world action-RPG era that began with Origins. However, other parts of the franchise are moving forward despite the uncertainty. The long-rumored Assassin's Creed 4 remake is slated for release on July 9, and it will reportedly retain the series' signature level of violence.
This period of transition comes amidst significant legal tension at Ubisoft. Former franchise boss Marc-Alexis Côté recently left the company and is currently suing Ubisoft for "constructive dismissal." Côté is seeking $1.3 million Canadian in damages, alleging that he was pressured to resign through hostile working conditions.
